Wild Duck with Blueberry Peach sauce; Cabbage; Caesar Salad

Tonight's dinner was duck (black duck to be specific) with a blueberry peach sauce along with sauteed red and white cabbage and a caesar salad. (and a framboise lambic!)

Trollie had dinner of a bit of duck, some salmon, little bit of turkey, baked squash, cottage cheese and egg with vitamins of salmon oil and vit B.

 The black duck was a bit too gamey for the other person eating the dinner but I guess my palate really is different. I believe it is because I haven't eaten meat from the grocery store in over 25 years.  But even though he thought the meat was gamey he said the sauce was good. The cabbage and salad were good side dishes. The recipes are below:

Duck:
- thinly sliced duck breasts (I had a black duck but mallard or other duck would probably be better if you don't like gamier meat) - would work with chicken or other bird too
- blueberry peach butter (I made this butter which is basically just blueberries and peaches cooked down into a thick "butter") - any kind of fruit butter or jelly would work
- mead (I have home made mead but any kind of wine would work here as well)
- garlic (fresh and minced)

Get a cast iron pan hot and place the duck slices in pan and sear on each side, (don't worry about cooking all the way through it will continue to cook after you take out of pan and you don't want to over cook).
Deglaze pan with mead/wine adding the butter and garlic and let reduce until thicker sauce consistency
Pour over duck slices.

Cabbage:
- sliced/shredded cabbage (I had a little bit of red and white cabbage so I used what I had, I personally think the red works best)
- butter or bacon fat

Saute cabbage in the butter or bacon fat.

Salad:
- romaine lettuce
- 1 egg coddled, preferably farm raised (boiled for just under 1 min so it is still soft)
- anchovies
- shredded parmesan (preferably fresh and not from a jar that has added fillers)
- garlic (fresh minced)
- lemon juice (fresh if possible)
- olive oil

I don't really measure anymore because this is a staple dish of mine but I would say combine the egg, about 1/3 of a cup of cheese, a couple cloves of garlic, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/8 of a cup olive oil with a couple minced anchovies in a bowl...adjust to taste. Pour over broken up romaine lettuce and add croutons if you like (I make them sometimes but often go without), some more parmesan and anchovies on top.

The dangers of free ranging and raising your own animals

This post is kind of an unhappy one. Hopefully I will get some time to spend with my featherheads this weekend and it will cheer me and bring back that happiness I feel when contemplating how much I have really accomplished on the homestead...besides, who needs tv when you can watch chicken football?  However, this past week has made the dangers of other people in association with my homestead become abundantly apparent.

I live on an acre of land with several pens and two barns. Behind and on the sides are 12 acres of farm fields and behind that are 70 acres of woods.  I rent the house and if I owned the place I would probably put up a permanent 6 foot wooden fence in the front by the road.  However, since I don't I have pens set up with chicken wire and netting on the green posts. 

My chickens free range and have a large shed as a coop that I closed in and has a door.  The barn holds two coops in the back and the front area is for the rabbits and it has a screened door on the front.  In one coop are Big Tom and the other turkeys that stay here and it is open to a big pen that is netted over. The other coop is super secure and set up for babies. I raised 4 turkeys in there and until recently had the 3 girls and one boy turkeys I raised. 

The muscovies decided that they wanted to free range after the hurricane which is fine because that is what I wanted them to do for their health and bug control.  They wouldn't use the chicken coop like I tried to train them to but they liked one tree to chill under at night.

All was working well until last week.  First the muscovies decided to hang out in the street and people drive way too fast. Lancelot, my black and white breeder drake, and one of the girls were killed. So, the muscovies are all locked in the chicken coop now and the poor chickens have been kicked out for the moment because the muscovies are too smart for the front pens.... the chickens have a favorite roosting place but I worry about them in the cold weather.  I am very sad I can't continue to free range the muscovies and I obviously have to figure out something else for the pens, bigger and tighter.

That was all sad but it got even worse.  One day last week someone stopped by the house, drove into the driveway honking and told my brother he wanted to buy the two drakes that were up in the front pen. My brother said they weren't for sale and the guy was not happy.  I was gone over the weekend and my brother fed everyone but he doesn't spend much time with the animals, they are all mine... so he fed and watered and made sure everyone was alive and healthy but he doesn't know them well enough to know who belongs where.  He was able to feed most everyone without opening the gates.  Since I was away, there was times when no one was here. 

When I got back and had a chance to check on everyone individually, we realized that my tom from the secure pen was missing and the straw bale that was in front of it was still there but was a little loose.  No feathers anywhere, no possible way for the turkey to get out of the coop or the barn. Someone came onto the property while we were gone and opened two separate doors and took my tom that I had planned for the holiday dinner plus soups and broths and such. 

It has all made me very sad in a time that should be filled more with joy and hope for the future.

Apple, Squash and Sage themed Dinner/Breakfast

I like to figure out what I have on hand and make a dinner revolved around that. It is similar to how I decorate, I find one or two things I really like and the theme of the room is based on that, for instance, my living room is grey with dark blue trim and light sage accents because I have a beautiful wool tapestry of a viking scene given to me and I found some great fabric with wolves on it with the sage green that matches nicely. So, that became the theme to pull the room together.

My food choices are based on what I have, what is in my garden or freezer, local and in season and preferably primal meaning real food and mostly low carb.
Tonights dinner revolves around apples, squash and sage because I have a lot of all of those and they taste great together.  I have some apples left from my last big picking at the local orchard - they have "2nds bins" where the apples are not quite perfect but most are still good enough for cooking, canning and sauce and butter.  I have sage still growing in the garden and I have picked squash from two local farms and have a good amount on hand.  The squash I get are a couple different kinds, the long neck, hubbard and banana mostly and they are all big so any time I decide to use them there is usually a couple meals or soup or canning/freezing of some type.  So, I had to figure out how to combine it all into a meal.

I had some rope sausage from the local butcher in the freezer and pork always goes well with apple and squash. So, here is the meal I came up with - simple, quite tasty and healthy.
Friday Primal Dinner:
Sausage, Roasted Apples and Squash/Apple Soup

Sausage:
local country sausage
fresh sage from garden


- cut into pieces and sauteed in cast iron pan with chopped up sage

Roasted Apples:
local apples
balsamic vinegar
fresh sage from garden


- cut apples into slices with skin on
- place in baking pan at 350F drizzled with balsamic vinegar and sage
- roast until tender

Roasted Banana Squash and Carmelized Apple Soup
banana squash roasted and pureed (you can use any kind of winter squash that you prefer, the banana is a bit softer and sweeter than hubbard or long neck or the standard butternut)
local apples cooked down and carmelized into butter (I had just made a batch of apple butter)
home made beef stock
garlic, onion, tumeric, sage, cayenne (whatever spices you want)

- combine all and let simmer to combine flavors

For Saturday breakfast I decided to use some left overs and came up with this combination:


Saturday Primal Breakfast: Bacon Pieces, Sauteed Apple and Fried Egg

I had a package of bacon ends so I cut the meaty parts off into bits and saved the fat for another use.
I cut some apples into small bits and sauteed in the bacon fat.
I then fried the egg and placed on top of the bacon and apples in a bowl.

The combination was really tasty.

I shared this on:

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2012/12/homestead-barn-hop-91.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ThePrairieHomestead+%28The+Prairie+Homestead%29

Friday Primal Dinner and Mystery on the Homestead

 

Well, first dinner...sorry no pic tonight. I made a Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli soup and Stuffed Pork Chops. I made the soup last night, took a little time but was really easy, had a small bowl last night for dinner and let the soup blend overnight...was even better tonight. So, when I decide on a dinner I often figure out one type of food I want to fix and then try to make them work together. I had cauliflower and broccoli that had to be used, so found a simple soup recipe and the rest was put in the freezer. I also had boneless porkchops that I thought would be good for tonight. So, I decided to add some blue cheese to the top of the soup, the parmesan was good but I thought the blue cheese would add a good contrast. I figured i could stff the porkchops so I mixed some of the blue cheese with some roasted garlic (also in the soup) and some sage, 'cause sage is just awesome! It all came out well and I enjoyed...the rest of the soup is in the freezer for another meal. The recipes are below.

Now for the mystery. This morning as I was feeding eveeryone I found Mr. Royal (the Royal Palm turkey tom) in the pen with Mr. Buff and big tom...they were not happy with eachother but I didn't have time to deal with. I figured maybe he got out and my brothers put him in there the night before (though they know he doesn't get along with the other toms so was curious). When I got home tonight I found out that my brothers did not put him in there and that he was there last night when they got home around 10pm. Mr. Black was out all day yesterday and was still out this morning...I decided to let him free range for a little bit before chasing him down. Mr. Royal has always been the aggressive one and he is the reason I had to split everyone up in the first place. Well, it is dark when I get home from work so I fixed dinner then decided to make sure everyone is in bed. Oddly Mr. Royal was not in the coop with the turkeys or in hanging with the ducks...after searching with the flashlight I finally found him hunched up in the far corner of the pen and I finally got him to hobble out...he has a bruised leg and a bloody face. Apparently he isn't king of the mountain anymore. As much of a pain he is I felt bad for him. He let me wal in the pen and pick him up. I brought him in the house, checked him out and made sure there were no injuries I needed to take care of and then put him in the small pen where I put Mr. Black this morning. *shakes head* If it isn't one thing it is another! Hopefully everyone behaves until I can work on the pens tomorrow and sort everyone out!
I still haven't a clue how Mr. Black remained roaming around while Mr. Royal escaped the front pen and ended up in the big pen???

And now the recipes if anyone wants them.

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup (original found online and adapted - original had a lot more stock, I like a thicker soup)

1 head of local broccoli
1 head of local cauliflower
1 bulb roasted garlic
olive oil
1 large onion
butter
2 quarts home made chicken stock
paprika, salt and pepper


1. chop broccoli and cauliflower florets and put in roasting pan with , drizzle with olive oil, paprika, pepper and salt.
2. roast at 400F for about half hour or until tender (flip if browning too much)
3. carmelize one sliced onion (slice onion, saute in butter until golden)
4. place roasted vegetables and carmelized onion (don't forget bits scraped from pan) with chicken stock into blender in batches (I actually put in food processer first but it didn't make it smooth enough so then put in blender)
5. put all in pot and simmer to blend flavors.
6. enjoy as is, with parmesan cheese, blue cheese like I did or yogurt or sourcream (might try next)

Blue Cheese, Roasted Garlic, Sage Stuffed Pork chops

1. mix blue cheese, roasted garlic and chopped sage
2. make pocket in boneless porkchops
3. saute in olive oil on med high so the outside browns then turn down to make sure the chop is done through

Primal Tuesday: Venison, Rosemary Nut Bread and Sweet Potato Soup

Primal Tuesday: Venison, Rosemary Nut Bread and Sweet Potato Soup

This week's Primal Tuesday dinner is Venison tenderloins (very simply sauteed), Sweet Potato Soup with roasted garlic and a Rosemary Nut Bread (that was extremely filling!). It was all very good and pretty simple.

The soup was an adaptation from some recipes I found online. The bread was from this website, and I followed it pretty closely.

http://aliveandwellness.blogspot.com/2012/10/rosemary-and-olive-oil-bread-grain-free.html

The Sweet Potato Soup was actually made yesterday and I refrigerated enough for dinner tonight and froze the rest in meal size portions. This is how I made it:

I cut up and peeled about 4 sweet potatoes, thawed out about 4 cups of chicken stock (I like my soups a little thicker than the 6 or 8 cups I saw on a couple recipes), an onion and cut the tops off of 2 garlic bulbs (twice as much as called for in some recipes). The sweet potatoes, onion and garlic bulbs were placed in a baking pan, coated them in olive oil and roasted in the oven for about 1/2 hour at 425F until soft. The sweet potatoes, garlic and onion were added to the chicken stock in the food processor in batches and blended in a pot on low on the stove. It came out really good so I think I will make more.

And...Trollie food (my pug/boston for those who don't know) was left over ham, raw salmon, cottage cheese, egg, garlic, salmon oil vitamins and blood from the venison when thawed out. It was practically inhaled! She has gotten a bit picky since she has gone on a 90% raw diet but she is doing really well on it.

Potato and tomato Indian style

Okay...school has been insane and all other time has been spent working on the homestead, working at my job or the occasional kayaking....so lets try again with the food accountability. So, tonight I had a bunch of local tomatoes about to go and I had a bunch of little potatoes from the CSA. I decided an Indian style dish might do. So I looked up some Indian recipes an improvised on an Aloor Dam recipe. So, basically, I boiled the potatoes but left the skins on, unlike the original recipe. I then sliced them and fried them a little in olive oil...then removed to a plate. I chopped up a large piece of ginger and some tomatoes. I sautéed the ginger slices with coriander, Garam masala, curry and dry mustard. Them tossed the tomatoes in and then the potatoes and let simmer for about 5 min. It came out really good...very light seasoning though I used more than called for, about a tablespoon for each. I served it with a cucumber and squash salad...very simply used a carrot grator to make very thin slices of the cucumber and squash, squeezed 2 fresh lemons and some olive oil on to the salad with a pinch of course salt and tossed. We finished the meal with some fresh cold local watermelon...and treated the featherheads to the same.

Okay, I realized that I need to have some accountability for food and such. I have. It been eating well lately, cheating with too many sweets, not taking time to make something good when tired at home, etc. So, in my posts I will talk about menus and such, as well as keep track of the frugal and environmental stuff I have accomplished. Homestead: nothing new since last night except that the ducks are very cute and they were all asleep in their water bowl this morning! Food: last night I made a salad with fresh greens from CSA, some fresh salmon I got from my "egg exchange" and a dressing made from the lemon balm from my garden, garlic and olive oil. Today I had a cup of yogurt(not my own unfortunately but at least was organic) with a drizzle of real maple syrup and an avocado. For lunch, left over lentil and kale soup. Dinner will be posted after I successfully get through day with no additions! Frugal, environmental, health: brought all my food with me, took the vanpool to work, brief shower this morning (and for those that don't know...I don't use regular store bought shampoo and such but used simple baking soda and water for shampoo and apple cider vinegar and rosemary for conditioner and it works great! I started what is called "oil pulling" this morning, it is a something that I have read about that sounds weird and gross but is supposed to help a lot with many health problems, oral health as well as other things. More later!

Researching and Organizing and waiting for Babies

Well, I am back in school (had only a VERY short week off).  I have spent some time organizing and a lot of time in the garden. 

I have not had any of my own babies hatch or be born.  :-(

Bunnies weren't pregnant. *sigh*  I had put Berkana and Momo with Ash...I really just think he is sterile...he is, of course, my favorite.  In the meantime I was working on getting my Silver Fox buck, Ronan, healthy again.  He got really skinny so I wormed him with a tiny bit of horse wormer and some basil essential oil in his food.  I have stuffed his face with good food and made sure he had ACV on a regular basis.  He is back to health again.  But now, my Silver Fox doe, Rowan, is a bit lethargic and not at a weight I like.  So, I just did the same with her, just with the basil essential oil...not the heavier dewormer.  I am not entirely sure it is the same...she isn't super interested in eating, at least not regular food...she leaves a bunch.  She gobbled down the baby food and the carrot I gave to her though.  These Silver Fox just seem to be giving me issues...I lost my first Silver Fox buck, Kaninchen, to something very similar, I just didn't catch it in time and it was in the middle of a cold winter (obviously not this past winter!).  Ugh...rabbit raising is certainly not as easy as some make it out to be!  My Harlequins are doing great, the babies are growing and Momo is going to go back to be bred again at the breeders this weekend.  I also just put Berkana, my Am. Chin doe, with Ronan so lets hope and cross fingers and pray and all that in about a month I have babies!

This weekend I am doing some summer prep work for the barn, hanging some fans (since the chickens kept knocking them over last year) and I am emptying my little freezer in prep for frozen water bottles.  For the turkeys I am buying a little kiddie pool so they can have a place to stand and get their feet cool when it is hot...frozen water bottles will go in the pools, as well as the rabbit cages, when it is really hot.  I am really afraid we are going to have a hot summer so I am trying to prepare.

Speaking of turkeys, all four hens are still setting!  I have cleared any eggs I can tell are "gone" but I am terrible at candling and fear for my life when I go near the nest! LOL I sure do hope they hatch soon or give up!  I have hay bales all around them though, just in case there are babies any day! 

For the waterfowl, my Pekin Duck is finally setting eggs hard...duck and chicken eggs under her.  And my geese are still setting hard...but they should be ready to hatch any day now...if they are fertile!  And there is no way, 1. I am getting those eggs out from under those ganders and 2. they are way too thick to even try to candle even if I was good at it!  So...more hoping and crossing fingers and prayers and stuff for baby hatchings!

However, to eleviate some of my angst at no babies, I bought 10 Khaki Cambell duck babies locally! They are so stinkin' cute with their floppy little feets!  But, man, are they messy!  I have the pen mostly set up in the Polish pen so I will finish the door up this weekend and move them out of the tuffy tote as soon as possible!

So, that is the feather head and furry update.  The garden is going pretty well, I got a lot done and planted but still have lots more.  My seedlings are doing okay...hope to plant them out soon.  The transplants are mostly doing okay.  I think I planted the broccoli I got from my friend a little too early but they are holding on so far.  I have older transplants of broccoli going and they had a rough start too but are doing much better now.  The lettuce is doing really well now after the chicken trampling and I hope to harvest some in the next week or two.  The onions are doing great.  The summer squash is growing really well!  I have a bunch of tomato transplants to get in the ground, mostly plum tomatoes, my paste seedlings aren't big enough yet.  I have two large eggplant transplants in the ground but am still waiting on planting my eggplant seedlings I started. My herbs are all happy and my spinach is finally coming up and my carrots finally sprouted.  I have peppers to plant this weekend and winter squash, corn, sunflowers and millet.  I have lots of work to do on beds still so it may be another week or two before everything is in.

And finally, I am trying desperately to organize and declutter.  I have been reading lots of blogs when I get a few moments for ideas on how to simplify, stop buying from the store and make my own stuff simply.  So far, I have found successful recipes for laundry detergent, fabric softer, dishwasher soap and some other cleaning things.  Vinegar and baking soda are your friends!  If anyone is interested I will post recipes.  I have some things I am working on for tinctures and salves and lotions and butters...I'll post when they are done. 

I am still working on decluttering my rooms, repurposing, recycling, putting in bins for a yard sale or throwing away.  It is a slow process though...especially with everything else going on around the homestead and school work.  I will get there though....

The waiting game...

Things have been relatively quiet on the homestead...as quiet as Spring can be!  I wanted some good news to post but since it has been weeks...so far, nothing counts as great news...just muddling along. 

It is the waiting game time.  I have 3 does that I bred, should have kindled by now...so far nothing though one was showing the signs... I have 3 of my 4 turkey hens setting eggs that should hatch any day now, but I am afraid they may not be viable...am not brave enough to go in and check! LOL  They are viscious when setting!  I have 3 geese setting eggs, as well, they should be hatching in the next week or so? 

My veggies are starting but nothing up too much yet...so waiting there too....my lettuce looks better and has recovered from the chicken stomping!  My strawberries just aren't happy this year.  My herbs are all doing really well except oddly my basil...I lost all my basil! My squash are starting to come up and my spinach is finally starting too! The first batch never took, so this is the second batch.  I just sowed a third one too.  My broccoli is hanging on but not flourishing...may need to feed it some kelp this weekend!

This weekend is a bunch of catching up before my classes start again Monday, I have had all of a week off!  Of course, that was spent working and a work function in the evening too!

Hopefully will have pics and updates from this weekend even if just stuff I have accomplished...but hopefully my girls will all cooperate too! *crossing fingers* and prayers to the Gods!

well, the roller coaster went down the hill again

Sadly, I woke up this morning and all the baby bunnies had died. I checked on them last night before bed and they were all in the box with fur and straw on top of them and moving around...so I could count them without touching them. There was extra straw in the cage, straw in the pan below and they are in one of the warmer areas of the barn. This morning they were all completely exposed and dead.

I am very sad...very upset. I don't know why she would let the babies become exposed like that, it had to be almost deliberate because there was no covering at all on them.

*sigh* back to square one. :-(

Roller coaster homesteading

Today has certainly been a roller coaster in the homestead.

Part of the day was reserved for harvesting my extra roosters and Tom turkey. For most homesteaders I it's very important that the animals have a good life and good death. Sometimes it doesn't happen exactly as you hoped. Today was like that...it was time for these birds to go to freezer camp, they had lived good lives, running around and acting like what they were supposed to...like chickens and turkeys. Sadly the killing did not go as well as I had hoped....so it makes me very sad. It was as quick as we could but not as smoothly as we want it to be. It bothers me a lot and I know it was nothing I did on purpose and it is a learning experience but it is still very hard to deal with.

So I was dealing with that when I had a feeling I needed to check on my rabbits...there was just a bit of odd sounds from the rabbitry and my new doe had been pulling fur this morning. She had been bred by the original breeder on the 20th so was no where near term and I hadn't even palates her yet. Well I went in to check in everyone and there she was with 6 live babies!

Then the roller coaster went down when I realized one of my grey turkeys was totally missing. I had named her Thelma and my buff Louise because they were two trouble makers constantly finding ways to escape. However, they always stuck around the pen and eventually went in roosting for the. Igot. Louise was in the pen and it was sunset and Thelma nowhere to be seen....I looked around for her and no luck. :-(

So it has been one of those emotional up and down days.

Spring is full swing on the homestead...

Well, we all know about the Spring attitudes! But now it is my turn to get in the mood...not that mood! The cleaning mood!

So far this is what my weekend looks like:
Saturday:
9am: 10 bales of straw being delivered
all morning: cleaning rabbit cages and putting straw away
day time: making cheese and yogurt
evening: homework

Sunday:
9:30: meeting
1:30: home and soap making
late afternooon: seed planting
evening: sewing

Monday:
morning: kayaking?
late afternoon: pick up new bunnies
evening: finish homework and make meals for week (bfasts and lunches)

World Tree Rabbitry needs revamping and attention

Okay, I have decided enough is enough. I am getting a trio of different kind of meat rabbits. One of the does is proven and will come here bred! Once those babies are weaned, I will breed her to one of my other bucks and then the other...we will find out what the issue is here with no babies! I am spending a good portion of this weekend getting the rabbitry back in order and keeping the chickens where they belong (anywhere but on my porch and on top of my rabbits!)

These Harlequins are meat rabbits but are not as rare/critical as the Silver Fox or Am. Chins (the Am. Chin being the most critical with the Silver Fox as second) but I have actually never seen them around here...the breeder is trying to bring them to the Eastern Shore. They are an old breed from France. So, I am hoping to have some luck with them and then get back to raising the other two breeds once I have some meat in the freezer. I do like the look of their fur too...for crafts. Since my breeders become my pets, I like that they are really cute with their multi colored faces!

Here is the pic of the young buck I am getting named Tempo.

Here is the pic of the young doe I am getting named Enigma (Momo is her mom).

And this is Momo, (a Black Japanese Harlequin) who will come to me pregnant by:

Randy Blue - a Blue Japanese Harlequin (papa of Tempo)

Spring in flux

Well, the separation of the toms was a success. Mr. Buff and Big Tom are raggedy looking but not trying to kill eachother anymore. Mr. Royal is in with a lady friend with the ducks and geese...no one seems to mind the new arrangement....should work until I get the new pens built. Ms. Buff and one of the grey hens is still setting eggs...I am not thinking much is going to happen because I find they occasionally leave the nest to go socialize with the boys! *shakes head* young mothers! Spring has not started to set at all yet...so maybe she is waiting for warmer weather or seeing what the new girls come up with?

The geese are really laying now and the ducks...sorta. Hoping incubating the eggs will be successful!

Rabbits are an issue right now...I just got 2 new rabbits, a buck and doe Standard Chins...the buck never got into a good eating routine...when I brought them home, the girl was hesitant for a day or so and then was eating like everyone else, the buck not so much. He would never finish a bowl of food but he didn't seem to be losing weight. I didn't put them together though, thinking the buck needed more time to acclimate. Well, late last week (Thursday), he was fine in the morning, when I got home late in the evening he was tilting his head and walking in circles...Saturday he was worse and then slipped away. The poor little thing, I hadn't even named him yet. So now I have a doe that is too small to breed with anyone....think I will be selling her and going back to concentrating on the ones I have, particularly since it seems Rowan, my SF doe, has gotten a parasite. I dewormed her, separated her from everyone and she is eating like crazy...so hopefully it all works out and she starts to gain weight again. Everyone else is fine, thank goodness! Sometimes I hate spring...this is when I always seem to have issues.

So, crossing fingers for everyone to get or stay healthy! I have an0ther big work day this coming weekend!

Spring! eggs and such

Well, I can't seem to keep up with everything...especially here. School is just crazy, meaning I am crazy and stressed. Definitely a difficult semester. And, of course, now it is time to get moving on homesteading stuff. All the girls have started laying like crazy and I now have tons of eggs!

My turkey hens are setting on eggs (hopefully they are viable and they produce babies!). I have goose and duck eggs...hopefully viable (have seen the drakes doing their jobs but haven't seen anything going on with the Geese, so...we shall see). The duck and goose eggs are going in the incubator in the next couple days...just need to get some time to get it all set up!

I had to separate the toms because they are trying to kill eachother, so Mr. Royal is in with the ducks and geese with a hen to keep him company (the black hen from the slate/oregon mix). The two greys from that mix are still with Big Tom, Spring, and Mr. and Mrs. Buff. Mr. Black from the mix group is in a crate now...ready to go to freezer farm soon. All the hens have a reprieve for the moment...need bigger ratio of hens to toms and I am keeping all the toms except Mr. Black...though I need a Mrs. Royal since my first hen disappeared. :-(

Gardening is starting to happen and with that a new fencing that will keep chickens off porch and keep the two Cayuga drakes in the garden.

Hopefully I will be able to report more progress soon!

goosies

Well, I have been unsuccessful in the hunting my own food department this year. No deer for myself but I was lucky enough to get some from friends. No geese for me yet either. It has been a weird year for most hunters. However, my coworker/boss got 3 geese last night and brought them to me! He knows I like to use the whole goose, down, feathers and all. The leg meat goes to the Trollie girl and the breasts for dinner! Yumm yumm...this means I have my plans set for tonight though...with 3 geese to process and then clean up after (and going to make broth) I'll be busy with that all night. Tomorrow will be a definite reading geography/working on lab night!

so much for keeping up with this blog

Well, I made it through the holidays and had like one week off from school after the holidays, not from work. So, the break I was so looking forward to never happened. The first couple weeks of classes were insane due to issues with my computer and compatibility with the software at the school. Not fun. I finally got it sort of figured out...at least to get me by for now. The amount of work for my two classes is insane on top of everything else I need to do. But the classes are good, I am learning a lot, I just might not get my normal A's and I might go splat by the time it is all done!

On the homesteading side....things are going relatively well. I have had a bit of loss. One of my turkeys got out, my Royal Palm hen and she disappeared...of all of the turkeys I did not want to lose her. So, no Royal Palm babies this Spring. I still have my Buff and Standard Bronzes though and someone has started laying eggs! I think an incubator is in my immediate future. For now...the eggs are yummy!

Speaking of eggs, I have gotten 2 duck eggs this week, one blue, one white! And chickens...well, they have slowed down but my new girls are still going strong and my little Polish girls are doing their duty!

My rabbits are a source of aggravation. They do provide good poo for garden and such but no babies! *grr* I am getting 2 new rabbits next weekend with my tax return, a Standard Chinchilla pair - I have an American Chinchilla pair and a Silver Fox pair right now. Maybe I can get something going!

On another sad note, Rothy - my barn cat that came with the house - got hit by a car. He had become my summer garden and porch buddy, I am going to miss him so much.

All else is proceeding as usual for the winter (as odd a winter as it has been). I got the fencing up in the front yard area and will be starting my second garden there shortly. I am starting some seeds this week for early spring planting.

And I leave you with a pic of my Americauna girl Vivianne.